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| From OncoLog,
February 2007, Vol. 52, No. 2 |
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Working Out How to Lower Your Risk of Cancer
 Now you have yet another reason to start working out. Recent research shows that regular exercise plays an important part in preventing cancer.
The latest American Cancer Society (ACS) Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines recommend a physically active lifestyle to help prevent cancer. For adults, “active” means completing at least 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity beyond your normal daily activities, on five or more days of the week. If you already get in a half hour daily, ramping up to 45- to 60-minute sessions could increase the benefits. For children and adolescents, the ACS recommends engaging in a minimum of 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity at least five days every week.
Get moving for your own good
What constitutes moderate physical activity? You’ve got a wide range of choices. It could be walking, dancing, mowing the lawn, gardening, or practicing yoga; playing volleyball, baseball, golf, or doubles tennis; bicycling leisurely; going ice-skating or roller-skating; riding horses; canoeing or downhill skiing.
Vigorous activities include running or jogging; fast bicycling; taking aerobic dance or martial arts classes; circuit weight training; jumping rope; swimming; playing soccer, basketball, field or ice hockey, singles tennis, or racquetball; cross-country skiing; and doing carpentry or heavy manual labor. Vigorous activities generally use large muscle groups and cause a noticeable increase in heart rate, breathing, and sweating.
Your physical activity need not be in one long session to be beneficial. Two separate sessions of 20 to 30 minutes are just as helpful as one 45- to 60-minute session, said Sally Scroggs, senior health education specialist in M. D. Anderson Cancer Center’s Prevention Center.
How activity helps prevent cancer
Updated every five years to reflect the latest research findings, the most recent ACS guidelines put more emphasis on the importance of physical activity in preventing cancer than they did before, Ms. Scroggs said. Research studies have shown that people who exercise regularly can reduce their risk of colon and breast cancer. Physical activity also may reduce the risk of cancers of the prostate and uterus as well as the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and osteoporosis.
Exercise seems to protect against cancer in a variety of ways. According to M. D. Anderson Cancer Center experts, physical activity may reduce the risk for breast and prostate cancer by regulating hormone levels in the body, and it may reduce colon cancer risk by aiding bowel movement, thus limiting the time the bowel lining is exposed to harmful substances.
“Evidence is accumulating that 45 to 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity on five or more days of the week is optimal for reducing cancers of the colon and breast,” Ms. Scroggs said. More vigorous activity may even further reduce the risk of colon cancer.
Exercise also helps people maintain a healthy weight. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of cancers of the colon, breast, uterus, esophagus, and kidney.
Tips for making your own ‘activation’ plan
Becoming more active takes a little planning, but activity can easily become a part of your regular routine. Walk or bicycle to your destination, or get off the bus one stop early. Exercise at lunch with coworkers, play with your children after dinner, or use a stationary bicycle or treadmill while watching television. Mow your lawn or work in the garden. Join a sports team. Go dancing. Plan active vacations rather than driving trips.
Particularly for people who haven’t been exercising, it’s important to start slowly and then gradually increase the minutes per session and the number of days you exercise. Trying to instantly change from a couch potato to a dedicated athlete can lead to injuries and decrease your resolve to stick with your exercise program. Remember that you’re building a consistent habit that can extend your life and increase your sense of well-being.
-- Karen Stuyck
For
more information on this topic or for questions about M. D. Anderson’s treatments,
programs, or services, call askMDAnderson at (877) MDA-6789.
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